3/9/09

So we've just finished our East Lansing engagement of the tour, which was busy and rewarding. While in East Lansing, we had a major rehearsal with our Production Stage Manager, Eric, who had been away from us for a time working with Michael Mayer on the Vienna production of SPRING. He reunited with us in St. Louis and scheduled a big rehearsal for this stop to freshen a few scenes and implement some minor staging changes and new ideas Michael discovered while working on the London and Vienna productions. See if you can spot them next time you catch our show! Anyway, it was a fabulously productive rehearsal, and I've been so proud of everyone's work this week. It was a great experience to get back to basics and explore things we hadn't since Michael's last visit some time ago, or even since rehearsal in New York. For example, to rediscover the blend and ensemble unity in Touch Me, Eric had us all sit on the floor in a circle and just sing the song to each other and really listen. It was so beautiful! The icing on the cake was having such invested audiences to explore things with in East Lansing. They were so with us, and made all of our hard work in rehearsal worth it.

East Lansing was also a huge personal joy, because it is just 45 minutes away from Ann Arbor, where I go to school, and so my week was full of visits from friends and faculty. I was also able to order Pizza House whenever I wanted it- those who are in the know should know how amazing that is!

After our last performance, which my best friend from school attended, I actually got to go back to Ann Arbor for the night and see even more old friends. It was beyond trippy to see all of my old haunts peppered with new buildings that didn't exist when I lived there, but so nice at the same time. When you're on the road, familiarity is a rare luxury. I was so glad to enjoy that luxury while I played to the wonderful audiences of East Lansing. Thanks for coming along for the ride- maybe I'll see you again when I'm back at school!

Best,Andy

[BlogMaster Note: Here are a couple of videos created by Andy and Gabby, now live on our Youtube channel. Perry's parents come to E. Lansing to give the tour cast a proper meal. And we held a concert to drum up excitement on MSU's campus]

[The Guilty Ones in E. Lansing came to the concert and we have one in particular to thank for taking this footage]:

The Guilty Ones also painted this awesome rock on MSU campus!

Thanks too for everyone who submitted suggestions for things the cast should do in E. Lansing. In the suggestions, one fan also warned Andy not to wear U of M wear while he was on MSU's campus (you can see from the audience's reaction in the Q&A above that that was a very wise and appropriate heads up LOL)! While they chose not to blog about them (most of the suggestions were for bars, etc), they were used as an insider's tour guide and helped make it an amazing week in E. Lansing!

Looks like you guys are having a ton of fun! Can't wait til next tuesday, going to the evening performance on opening night! ♥

Also, quick question if any of the cast members / stage hands / whoever is reading this, is the stage seating idea similar to the broadway version? By this I mean are cast members going to be sitting among real audience members and stuff? XD

Psychopathic, it's EXACTLY the same idea as on Broadway. Yes, cast members sit next to audience members on stage, although shhh...we still want to keep it a surprise for those who might not be "in the know." There's nothing better than seeing the faces on unsuspecting audience members when our ensemble cast whips out their microphones from their seats! : )

I saw you guys in East Lansing on March 1st at your matinee performance, and i absolutely loved it!it was also my birthday, and it was the best gift i could ever ask for. I've been obsessed with the show for the past two years and it was such an amazing experience to finally see it!!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I send fan mail to the cast?

If you just want to send a quick note to all the cast members telling them you appreciate their work, you can email us here at totallytruckedblog (at) gmail (dot) com. I will be happy to forward your email to the cast, but to preserve their privacy, it is unlikely they will email you back (I will, though).

You can also send individual performers fan mail and care packages care of the theatre at which we are currently performing or will be performing. Go to the theatre's website (listed above), find their mailing address, write the actor's name as well as "Spring Awakening" and send c/o the theatre. Remember, we are often at these theatres for only a week so make sure to allow for delivery times. It's a better bet to send it to the theatre we will be going to next as they can always hold packages for us until we arrive. Letters received late will not be forwarded to our next location.

2. How Can I Audition for Spring Awakening?From time to time, we have open calls in larger cities across the US. We will post any additional open calls here. Subscribe if you havn't already to keep informed. In the meantime, we've made it easy for you to submit yourself singing a folk/alternative rock song on video. Go to: http://www.springawakening.com/videoauditionsubmission/ Make sure your submission is less than 500 MB and is one of the accepted formats. Your screen should change and you should get a confirmation that says your submission has been received. Trust us, people are called in this way. Lucas Wells was cast because of an online submission!

3. How Do I Score On Stage Seats?That is really up to the individual theatres. Most of them won't release the seats until just before performances because they want to make sure the house is sold first. Some do so online, although the ticketing systems they have in place often can't accommodate our unique seats onstage. Most of them are available only at the box office (though you can purchase them for a performance in the future). The Guilty Ones Street Team members have the rights to purchase these seats before the general public. Any seats left over will be released to the box office and may also be purchased as part of rush tickets (discounted, day-of tickets).

4. How Do I Join The Guilty Ones? The National Guilty Ones Street Team is a way for fans of the show in each of our tour stops to help us spread the word. You will get access to parties, meet and greets, and other special events while meeting new friends who share your passion for the show, all while gaining some valuable marketing experience. You must be at least 15 yrs old. Email your contact info to nationalguiltyones (at) gmail (dot) com.

5.Can I Get Discounts?From time to time, a theatre may offer us discounts to send out to our fans. We will post any here on the blog. Subscribe now!

6. Who runs this site? This site was created for fans to stay connected with our touring cast and follow their adventures around North America. Ideally, it would be in the voice of the cast members. Unfortunately, our cast members are often too tired or busy to post lengthy blog posts on a regular basis. Company members will contribute a post from time to time and every month we will have a compiled blog post that most every company member will participate in. The other stuff like updates, etc, will be posted by me. My name is Pun. I work for the production, love this show, its cast, and our fans, and I'm so very glad you're here!